MLB.com's Greg Johns blogs about the Mariners. You can also follow him on Twitter @gregjohnsmlb.

Carp rejoining Mariners in Tampa to replace Olivo

Mike Carp, who has been on the disabled list since Opening Day after spraining his right shoulder diving for a ball in the Tokyo Dome, is rejoining the Mariners in Tampa today to take the roster spot created by catcher Miguel Olivo’s injury.

The Mariners haven’t made the move official yet, but manager Eric Wedge talked of that possibility after Monday’s 3-2 loss in 12 innings and Carp confirmed that on his Twitter account Tuesday morning/

“On my way to Tampa to meet with The Big Club…. DL stint finally over. Happy to be healthy an ready to go,” Carp wrote on his @CarpusMaximus20 account.

Olivo strained his right groin muscle while fielding a ball in front of the plate and turning quickly to throw to first base while his foot planted in the Tropicana Field turf. He had to be helped off the field and was on crutches after the game, when he said the pain was pretty intense, worse than when he had a similar injury in the 2011 spring training that kept him out three weeks.

Carp has been playing in Tacoma for nearly three weeks on a rehab stint. He’s struggled at the plate while regaining his timing, batting just .137 (7-for-51) with two doubles and four RBIs in 13 games. But he did have hits in three of his last four outings.

Carp developed into one of the Mariners’ key young bats last season when he excelled following a midseason call-up from Triple A, hitting .276 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs in 79 games.

Carp figures to fill the designated hitter spot when Montero is behind the plate, or offer another option in left field once his arm is 100 percent. He’d been playing mostly DH and a little first base in Tacoma.

Wedge said Monday night that Montero and John Jaso would split time at catcher in Olivo’s absence. The team expects to learn more about the severity of his injury during tests today in Tampa.

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Any wisdom in perhaps considering a AA stint for Ryan. He is completely unsettled and lacking in swagger during his ab’s. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

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